Former Wewoka State Champion, Tre Roberts, named Head Boys Basketball Coach.

"Wewoka is home"

On Thursday the Wewoka Board of Education approved the hiring of the next head boys basketball coach of Wewoka basketball, Deauntre Roberts. Roberts will also be the WR/DB coach for the football program.

When asked about the hiring, Athletic Director Cody Barlow said, "We're excited about hiring a hometown person with strong ties to the community. He has excelled in everything he has done since he graduated Wewoka in 2016. We're excited to see what he can do with this basketball program that has such historic tradition."

Tre Roberts grew up in Wewoka and went to school in Wewoka. He was known for his quick and flashy athletic ability on and off the court, field and track.

"Growing up in Wewoka is not for the weak, you probably go through more hardships as an adolescent than most adults do here," Roberts said. "One thing about Wewoka is that the community is tight and when one person hurts, we all hurt."

Roberts spent his four years of college at Bethany University in Lindsborg, Kansas, where he played college football for the Swedes and got his degree in psychology and coaching. He racked up All-American honors as a defensive back and special teams player and earned KCAC All-Conference two out of his four years there. Roberts was one career interception away from tying the all-time school record in interceptions.

Former Bethany teammate, Trevin Chandler, said that Roberts, "has always been a genuine person who sees great potential in you and always tries to put you on the right path to succeed."

After college, he went on to play professional indoor football for the Salina Liberty. You can watch his highlights here. Tre played one season for Salina before coming back to Wewoka to take over a vacant 5th grade teaching position for the remainder of the 2021-22 school year.

"We were fortunate to have hired Tre for the next school year and have a 5th grade teaching position come available that he was able to take over for the remainder of this school year. He did an outstanding job being thrown into the fire and we are excited to see where the future of his educational career goes." said Barlow about Roberts taking the position over.

This was an easy decision for him as he believes Wewoka is home and that he can make a difference in the community altogether.

When asked about some of the people who influenced him in life to get where he is now, Roberts said, "My family were probably some of the biggest influencers in my life because they always pushed me to my limits no matter how many times I tried to give up. I learn from everyone I come into contact with and can remember being the annoying kid who was always asking 1,000 questions. I also want to thank some of my little league coaches and high school coaches, specifically Vernell Kemp and Kenneth Hart."

Photo: Nate Billings/The Oklahoman

Roberts knows what it feels like to hoist the gold ball as a state champion, but now he's going to start working on doing it again, this time as a coach.

"Everyone's goal is winning but we have to establish an identity and that will start with the senior group," Roberts said. "Once we get our identity, we will build off that and get Wewoka back to the powerhouse it has always been."

Building the program up and winning championships is great, but it is not how Roberts wants his players to remember him. "I want them to remember me as an honest person and leader, I don't want them to just learn about basketball, I also want them to learn about life."

Roberts, being a young head coach, says that he plans on getting his players to respect him and building off that. He believes that once the players respect their coach, they buy in to the system and will do whatever it takes to win.